Solander as an Ornithologist. 129 



at once formed that ended only with death. Banks -nas 

 the younger man and probably was the more enthusiastic, 

 but the exact connection between the two cannot now be 

 ascertained. Anyhow Banks determined to accompany 

 Captain Cook on his First Voyage, the main purpose of 

 which was to observe the Transit of Venus from the new 

 view-point in the Pacific^ the Society Islands, and incidentally 

 to look out for the theoretical Antarctic Continent. The 

 result of Banks' meeting with Solander is thus told in a 

 letter from Ellis to Linne : — " I must inform you that 

 Jos. Banks has prevailed on your pupil Dr. Solander to 

 accompany him in the ship .... to the new-discovered 

 country in the South Sea .... I must observe to you that 

 his places are secured to him, and he has promises from 

 persons in power of much better preferment on his return. 

 Everybody here parted from him with reluctance, for no man 

 was ever more beloved, and in so great esteem with the 

 public from his affable and polite behaviour." Cook's 

 first voyage lasted from ITGS till 1771, and Solander and 

 Banks arrived back safeij% although the three artists whom 

 they took with them all died on the voyage. 



On their return Solander became Secretary and Librarian 

 to Banks and also Under-Librarian at the British Museum. 

 The "call of the Pacific" was, however, felt by Banks and 

 Solander, and preparations were made by them to accom- 

 pany Cook on his Second Voyage. On receipt of this 

 intelligence, Linne wrote to Ellis a most prophetic lament, 

 extracts from which are worth reproduction in this connec- 

 tion : — ''' T have just read .... that our friend Solander 

 intends to revisit those new countries. .... This report has 

 affected me so much as almost entirely to deprive me of 



sleep Whilst the whole botanical world, like myself, 



has been looking for the most transcendant benefits to our 

 science .... all their matchless and truly astonishing 

 collection .... is to be put aside untouched, to be thrust 

 into some corner, to become perhaps the prey of insects and 



of destruction I am under great apprehension that, if 



the collection should remain untouched till Solander^'s return, 



SEK. X. VOL. I. K 



